A day after one person was arrested on Friday in the case relating to the death of a pregnant wild elephant in Kerala, on Saturday reports have surfaced saying that the elephant died in Palakkad district had eaten a coconut filled with explosives.
According to a report by The News Minute, explosive filled into a coconut and left on the boundary of a rubber plantation, on the forest fringe. The workers do this for hunting wild boars for meat and the elephant had accidentally come across the bait.
Earlier, it was suspected that the 15-year-old elephant might have consumed a pineapple filled with powerful firecrackers that exploded in its mouth in the Silent Valley forest. It died in Velliyar River a week later on May 27.
The accused, Wilson, who was arrested on Friday, is a rubber tapper. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assured stern action against those responsible for the incident after a social media storm erupted over the brutality meted out to the elephant.
Reacting to the incident, Union Environment Minister, Prakash Javadekar had said it was not in Indian culture to feed firecrackers and kill and that government would not leave any stone unturned to bring the culprit to book.
As per a preliminary post-mortem report, the animal had major wounds in its oral cavity, most likely following an explosive blast due to which she could not eat for nearly two weeks leading to her collapse in a river and drowning.
Drowning followed by inhalation of water leading to lung failure was the immediate cause of the animal's death, said the report prepared on May 28, a day after the elephant died.
(Inputs from Agencies)
